"A Biblical Approach to Weight Management"

The subject of God is something many of us have probably not thought of much in terms of weight management. But apparently that idea is catching on in mainstream America. Jordan Rubin author of The Maker's Diet "thinks that many people will rely on their faith with God to be disciplined." His diet plan consists mainly of very simple unprocessed foods, certainly not a bad idea and something I certainly encourage everyone to embrace.

What is going on now is a "biblical approach to weight management," managing the notions of weight, willpower and the empty spiritual hole inside of us which I classify as emotional eating.

What are my thoughts? Twelve step programs have been around for years using a spiritual approach for alcoholism, food, and various other addictions. (Remember spiritual is different than religion.) For many it can and does work. Other spiritual groups may be effective too if people are willing to really confront their emotional based issues instead of "stuffing" their feelings with food.

Do Meal Replacements Work for Weight Loss? - 2

Yesterday I started discussing liquid diets and the challenges of being on such a plan. Today I'll go into that a bit more.

• Liquid diets do not teach a person how to eat for health. These plans frequently limit fruit, vegetables, and whole grain intake which are essential for health including nutrients, phytonutrients, antioxidants, and fiber.
• Shakes would not teach a person about balancing meals adequately. Food balance is especially important considering that diabetes is epidemic right now. It is crucial for blood sugar regulation and controlling food cravings.
• Liquid meal replacements tend to consist of soy and/or milk, two foods that many people are sensitive to and should not be consuming regularly.
• Many liquid diets have synthetic vitamins which are not absorbed well by the body.
• Using shakes for meals would make the transition into maintenance more difficult.

I would utilize meal replacements if you need a jump start to weight loss and will only be using it for a short time. And even though I generally believe in whole foods for meals, a healthier shake might work as an occasional quick breakfast or lunch.  This would still be better than skipping a meal entirely.

Do Meal Replacement Drinks Work for Weight Loss? - 1

Many diets flood the market claiming to help you lose weight. Still popular are meal replacement drinks or liquid diets in the form of shakes.  They may work (at least temporarily) because they automatically cut excess calories out. In other words, much of the guesswork of calorie restriction with food intake has been taken out of the dieter's hands. (This is a relevant issue, as I've said repeatedly in my blogs, many people are in denial about how many calories they are actually consuming regularly, then complain about not losing weight!)

Even though shakes can help people lose weight quickly there are some drawbacks I want to point out:

• Many meal replacements are just too low in calories for most people. They are typically about 250 calories each. Adding a moderate dinner meal brings the calorie range to 1000 or 1200. For older people, middle aged women, and those who cannot exercise much, this calorie range may work effectively, but for the rest of the population it probably would not be enough food.
• Consuming just a shake at breakfast and lunch may make a person overly hungry resulting in over eating at dinner.
• Meal replacements can be boring. They lack variety and many complain they don’t get to "chew."  They really aren’t for the long term (I would say no more than 2-3 months).

Tomorrow I'll go into a few of the other challenges of these diet plans.

Weight Loss Nutrition Friend

I call fiber the misunderstood carbohydrate because usually it is just touted for, well, constipation issues. But I'm here to set the record straight. It goes so far beyond that.

Understand that fiber is basically the non-digestible part of a plant.  It is the cell wall of a plant, whether it is from broccoli or the skin on a potato.  What's important, is what it actually does while going through your digestive tract.

If you are losing weight remember that fiber "fills."  From a hunger perspective it satisfies hunger and can slow down digestion releasing glucose more evenly.  This helps stabilize blood sugar levels more effectively, which in turn curbs appetite, cravings, and may even promote a better mood.  If you consistently consume highly refined white flour and sugar products (void of both fiber and nutrients) they are quickly absorbed into the blood stream and cause blood sugar highs and lows.

And I'm not done yet. Fiber also dilutes, inactivates, and binds cholesterol, bile acids, potential carcinogens, and other toxic substances in the bowel. (Note: when you are losing weight there are more toxins being eliminated by the body.) The action of fiber helps inhibit the absorption of these toxins into the bloodstream, and reduces their contact time with the bowel wall. This could explain why people on high fiber diets have less colon cancer, heart disease, cholesterol problems and gallstones.

So remember fiber is your friend for both weight loss and health.

 

 

Medications that May Intefere with Weight loss

Some medications can cause you to gain weight, or keep you from losing it, says Ken Fujioka, MD, medical director of the Scripps Clinic Nutrition and Metabolism Research Center in San Diego. The following specific medications may cause some real challenges with losing weight:

• Some medications used to treat type 2 diabetes 
• Antipsychotic or schizophrenia medications
• Beta-blockers (prescribed for high blood pressure, and some heart conditions)
• Antidepressants
• Hormone replacement therapy
• Birth control pills
• Corticosteroids 
• Antiepileptics taken to control seizures

You may have one of the above conditions but don't just abruptly decide to go off any medication on your own. Openly talk to your doctor first and discuss alternatives and impress upon him/her your desire to lose weight. In fact if you are trying to lose weight discuss this when you are first diagnosed with a condition before he/she prescribes the medication. Another option is to check with a pharmacist who knows medications.

Also make sure you are following your current diet to the letter before you decide it is actually the medication that may be interfering with your weight loss efforts. Use ND's Daily Needs Calculator to determine the amount of calories you should be consuming to lose weight. Then weigh and measure your food intake so it is truly accurate. Check my blog from April 30 to ensure you are following your plan adequately with the other weight loss essentials. You can't blame the medicines for not losing weight if you are not really following your plan.

Mistakes Happen

I hope you all got through the challenges of Mother's Day. My accolades to those of you that did! I know how taunting food can be in any social event.

For those of you that were not so successful please don't berate yourself. Just remember one of the most important things is how you react to a mistake.  I'm a firm believer that we should use any deviation as a learning experience.

If you continue to dwell on how bad the mistake is, does that make you feel any better? Of course it doesn’t. But if you use it as something that you can learn from it puts things in a perspective. Think of  slips as "dress rehearsals" for maintenance.

Do you have another event coming up soon? What were your mistakes this past weekend? Figure out exactly what they are and how they happened. Now determine how can you get through the next event without causing a lot of harm to your current eating plan. What can you do differently?

Readers, please share with us how you get through social events successfully.

Happy Mother's Day

As a mother you probably put your children first in many areas of your life. But please remember this, don’t do it at the expense of your own health, weight, and personal happiness.

You know when you are flying in a plane and the flight attendant gives a demo of what to do if the plane will crash? If you have a child with you they tell you to give the oxygen mask first to yourself and then to the child. Why? If something happens to you what will happen to your child?

The same should hold true in life. If you give too much to your children at the expense of your health, weight and own happiness you will have your own kind of "crash." Your health goes downhill, you look older than your years, and you have become overweight and unhappy about how you look, feel, and think. You may even become resentful. What kind of a mother are you then?

It's all about balance. Remember the kids will grow up one day and you will only have yourself (and your husband). When your whole life is about just the kids, what will you have left after they are gone? Older moms share this wisdom with your daughters and sons.

Your children are important but you are as important as your children, so take care of yourself too!

Happy Mother's Day to mothers everywhere! Whatever you are doing today I hope it is filled with love and happiness and that you are fondly remembering the day you first became a mother.

Mother's Day Eating Challenges

Are you going out for Mother's Day brunch or is family making you a special meal?
Here are some suggestions to get you through the day. These strategies can work for brunch, dinner, or just about anywhere.

• Moms, this day is supposed to be about what you want. Be lovingly assertive about your needs.

• Have a plan. Which restaurant will give you the best healthy, but enjoyable choices? (Go online and check out some menu options.) Ask for what you really need from family members.  How will you manage portion control? Etc.
• Think: How do you want to feel at the end of the day? Watch for the holiday mentality of, "Well it's my day I'll eat whatever I want..." or "I'll get back on track on Monday."
• Prior to the main event consume a light snack without fats and carbs. You will get plenty of those later. By eating light before the big meal you won't be starving and tempted to overeat.
• Choose to balance your food choices from all the food groups rather than just  consuming all the heavy carb and fatty items. Or take tiny amounts of the things you only enjoy and make that your meal. Make a commitment to write down everything you have eaten to keep yourself accountable.
• When you are hungry later in the day, figure out what food groups you haven’t had and make that your meal.  When out, most people do not load up on lean protein, vegetables, yogurt, milk, or even fruit. Those should be the choices for a meal later.
  

Check my old blogs from December for additional ideas around holiday eating.

"I Can't Lose Weight!"

You are following a sensible diet. You are even working with a qualified nutritionist  who validates everything you are doing. Yet, the scale refuses to budge. So where do you go from here?

Occasionally there are real medical issues as to why some people do not lose weight.  According to Peter LePort MD, here are a few conditions that may prevent weight loss:

• Cushing's syndrome is when the adrenal glands produce too much cortisol. Signs are usually when there is a fat build up in the face, upper back and abdomen.
• Hypothyroid or low thyroid is when your metabolism is just plain slow. Many hypothyroid individuals go undetected even when blood results show low to normal levels. This can occur even when a person is on thyroid medication.
• Polycystic ovary syndrome is hormone imbalance characterized by irregular bleeding, acne, excessive facial hair, thinning hair, infertility issues, and weight gain not caused by over eating.
• Insulin resistance or hyperinsulinemia (high insulin) is when insulin is not getting into the cells for energy.
• Many women struggle with weight at specific times in their lives when there is a hormonal shift going on in their bodies. Typical times include puberty, during pregnancy and menopause.

Just make sure you are honest with yourself and that you are in fact doing all the right things to lose weight before putting yourself through any expensive testing.

Cut the Cravings with the Right Food Choices - 2

Yesterday I started discussing cravings and how to deal with them by making the correct food choices and combining them properly. Today I am going to finish up with more ways to control cravings.

3. Examine what sweets are currently in your diet.  Are you having a lot of artificial sweeteners? What about that hidden sugar hiding in the Coffeemate, or mochas/syrups in your coffee?  Examine where you may be getting extra sugars and start eliminating them from your diet. Both sugar and artificial sweeteners in these items and the coffee may all contribute to a spike in blood sugar and the cravings that come with it.

4. Consume a healthy breakfast from the food groups suggested in "number one" on yesterday's blog. Make your carbohydrate choice a whole grain and high fiber (at least three to five grams of fiber). Many people make the mistake of consuming just carbohydrates (cereal and fruit juice) for breakfast which is a big mistake for most. Or worse, they skip breakfast entirely and just have coffee drinks. Skipping this first meal of the day may play havoc with blood sugar.

5. Eat three balanced meals a day (again, refer to "number one" from yesterday) and a few healthy snacks in between meals.

What helps you with your food cravings?

Cut the Cravings with the Right Food Choices - 1

Many people discuss cravings as things they absolutely can't control.  But guess what, you can control them if you start by choosing the right foods in your normal diet. Keep in mind though, if you are dealing with emotional cravings they have to be dealt with as well because food alone is still only one part of dealing with cravings.

Today I want to discuss cravings that occur because of how we might eat.

1. Many food yearnings have to do with stabilizing your blood sugar levels. Lean protein, small amounts of healthy fat, and fiber all contribute to healthy blood sugar balance.  Including these food groups in the right balance at every meal can prevent your insulin levels from climbing too high.  Frequently when blood sugar levels spike and then fall rapidly it causes us to crave things or be hungry when we've really had enough.

2. Always include high-fiber, nutrient dense (but low-calorie) foods such as fiber-rich vegetables, fruits, and whole grains to help you to feel fuller longer. Your body is less likely to crave things when it has the proper nutrients. Eliminate or moderate the high sugar, white flour, low nutrient, and low fiber foods in your diet.

Tomorrow I'll finish up with other tips to cut the cravings.

Disordered Eating or Eating Disorder?

Most of last week I discussed "disordered eating" from Self magazine. I spent so much time on this because these forms of eating are largely ignored by many dieters.  It seems minimized when it is so serious among such a large population. (And the men were not even included, although I am sure they also struggle with these same issues.)

As I have mentioned previously I think the last few categories are actually real eating disorders and in my 25 year experienced opinion, these unhealthy patterns should not be sugar coated simply as a form of "disordered eating." Frequently they can and do lead to more serious painful patterns of physical and emotional harm to the person.

Keep in mind dieters frequently don’t fit into just one category. Even Self magazine states, "Many disordered eaters piece together a painful mix of destructive habits over the years,... ricocheting from restricting to binging to purging, etc." The initial goal for Self readers was simple awareness of the behaviors. It is a good starting point for sure. From awareness it is up to the person to decide if she is really ready for help and support in this area of disordered eating. This takes an enormous amount of courage to acknowledge if you have this problem. I applaud anyone that can take this step to reach out. It's so easy to think, "I can do this by myself."

Readers please share your experiences with us on this serious and neglected subject.

Categories of Emotional Eating - 3

Today I will finish up on the last categories of Self's categories of "disordered eating" patterns.

Category 5: "Food addicts eat to soothe stress, deal with anger, even celebrate a happy event; they think about food nearly all the time."

My comment: Many times this individual will say, "I just enjoy food." It's frequently a lot more than that. If a person is that "addicted" to food and eats all the time it can also be a response to emotions that the person is not dealing with. I call it "stuffing feelings."

Category 6: "Extreme exercisers work out despite illness, injury or exhaustion and solely for weight loss; they are devastated if they miss a session."

My comment: In addition to the general public, professional actors, dancers and sports advocates/athletes can find themselves caught up in this serious disorder affecting physical/emotional health, all in the name of their "sport" or activity.

Tomorrow I will discuss my final comments on this subject.

Categories of Emotional Eating - 2

Today I will continue on with the various forms of emotional eating (disordered eating) from Self magazine.

Category 3: "Career dieters may not know what to eat without a plan to follow; despite their efforts, they're more likely than other types to be overweight or obese."

My comment: These are dieters that probably have never learned about maintaining their weight or even healthy eating. They probably live in the black and white extremes of dieting and overeating. They need to genuinely learn and embrace healthy eating from a nutrition professional and possibly need emotional support.

Category 4: "Purgers are obsessed with ridding their body of unwanted calories and bloat by using laxatives, diuretics or occasional vomiting."

My comment: This is bulimia as far as I am concerned. It should be recognized and treated as such with professional help. According to Self's poll, 31% engaged in this behavior. This indicates a very serious trend.

The last two categories will be covered tomorrow.

Deal with the Real Issues of Weight Gain

Yesterday I summarized some disturbing results from Self Magazine's latest poll on disordered eating. My message today is if you are having issues with any problems around dieting mentioned in yesterday's blog please don’t be mislead that a "diet" will fix the problems around your weight. If you are constantly struggling with this in some way, food and weight is not always the underlying issue, food is probably more about the symptom of what might be going on in your life. 

This has more to do with with the harsh realities of everyday stress, self image/self-worth issues, and living up to the media's expectations of what women should look like. If the struggle has been going on just too long I suggest seeing a qualified nutritionist who can help you get straight on eating. And, I would also strongly advise getting support with any emotional issues either through professional therapy, Overeaters Anonymous, or at the very least start journaling and exploring your feelings and emotions. Emotional issues generally don’t go away on their own. In fact, they usually get worse. The weight keeps going up and self-esteem goes down.

Poll on Disordered Eating with Women

It seems American women are in big trouble with their relationships around food and dieting. Not only is America getting heavier but our viewpoints around food seem to becoming more and more distorted. Self magazine is saying: "Eating habits that women think are normal (and they are not) – such as banishing carbohydrates, skipping meals and in some cases extreme dieting – may actually be symptoms of disordered eating." In fact a recent large poll that was taken by Self magazine in conjunction with the University of North Carolina revealed that, "Sixty-five percent of American women between the ages of 25 and 45 (previous thought was that only younger women had these issues) report having disordered eating behaviors. What this translates into is that three out four American women have some kind of problem with food issues." The article goes on to say that, "An additional 10 percent of women report symptoms consistent with eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, meaning that a total of 75 percent of all American women endorse some unhealthy thoughts, feelings or behaviors related to food or their bodies."

In my opinion and even more alarming, is that many of these women seem on the very cusp of the more serious eating disorders because they are involved in some manner of purging whether it is with laxatives, vomiting or diuretics.

I don't believe all this happening because of the obesity epidemic and media hype for losing weight. Tomorrow I will share my more specific comments on these heart breaking findings.

Categories of Emotional Eaters - 1

The last few days I have been discussing the alarming results from Self's poll on disordered eating. The next few days I will be discussing the six categories of disordered eating from Self magazine. 

Category 1: "Calorie Prisoners are terrified of gaining weight, tend to see food as good or bad and feel extremely guilty if they indulge in something that's off-limits."

My comment: There is nothing wrong with monitoring your weight (once or two times a week) but when you are obsessive about it all the time it's unhealthy.  In general, foods should not be classified as "good or bad." Obviously when you are trying to lose weight you don’t want to consume unhealthy and high calories foods every day. In fact a small indulgence now (include it in your actual food plan) and then is probably a good thing. Just learn moderation.  Excessive guilt should not be attached to it.

Category 2: "Secret eaters binge on junk food at home, in the car—wherever they won't be found out."

My comment: This relates to the issue around binging and the shame around it. Hiding food intake only adds to the whole premise of disordered eating. The more secret your eating is the more likely the burden evolves around compulsive eating. An expression I like is "Share it or wear it." In other words if you don’t share your feelings about "what's eating you" (or the eating itself) the more likely you will continue to eat over situations. When you are binging, it's not about the food!

Tomorrow I'll continue to cover the other categories listed from Self's survey.

Knowledge is Power for Weight Loss Success

Knowledge is power. You can accomplish your weight loss goals as long as you have the right information. You can educate yourself, understand what you need to know, accept it, and then do what it is you need to do to lose your weight. If you believe a fad diet will truly help you lose the weight and keep it off, you do not have the correct information to attain your goals.

Put simply, there are no shortcuts. You have to educate yourself and you have to learn how to do things correctly and consistently. So what do you need to know?

• Seek quality professional guidance, or find a reputable source of information to help you find the right food plan for you as an individual.
• A healthy food plan contains all the food groups, the correct amount of calories you need, and the correct balance of macronutrients.
• Find any additional resources you need to be successful with dining out, emotional eating, etc.
• Develop some kind of accountability for your actions
• Exercise regularly.(Refer to Steve's blogs for all kinds of tips on activity.)
• Drink at least eight glasses of water daily.

When you know the right things to do and follow through with them, you will lose weight. Knowledge is power!

Waste or Waist?

One issue I hear repeatedly is "I hate to waste food." My answer to that, is it better to waste some food in a garbage can or put it directly on your own "waist?"

I grew up with parents from the depression era so I know about waste. Back then it was about all the starving people in China. I don't deny there are starving people all over the world but the logic defied me. Were my parents going to send leftover food to those people in China? Wouldn't it spoil? The point of course, is that we needed to eat the food ourselves even if we were full. So I finished my plate and many years later I still agonize about throwing food away.

So what do you do if you are still hung up on the waste issue? There are many solutions. Cook only what you need. Put smaller portions on your plate. Freeze the leftovers. If they are empty calorie foods (cakes, cookies, sweets, etc.) what's the real waste? Do these foods contribute to health in any way or just to your weight issue?  Lastly isn’t it a waste of life to die younger due to heart disease, diabetes, or some kind of cancer? Isn’t it a waste to destroy the quality of your life (both emotionally and physically)?

Learning Self-Accountability with Weight Loss

Yesterday I discussed accountability and finding support while losing weight. Today I want to elaborate on the importance of learning self-accountability.

Accountability is probably one of the biggest reasons why dieters fail while trying to lose weight. If you only have yourself to answer to each week where's the positive stress to keep you on track?  Yet, many people still insist they can lose weight on their own. Remember 95% of dieters fail. (Just so you know it took me literally years to lose 30 pounds and keep it off, and yes, I actually did it by myself.)

All too many times I've had a person say, "Well I'm following the plan perfectly," yet it's very clear to me from the few pages of a food diary that the person is really not following the plan and this has to be kindly pointed out.

So how do you learn self accountability? You learn this first by knowing, really knowing specifically, what plan you are following. Many people just think they are following a plan and actually are only following it in the mind. The food diary (I suggest using ND's free Pantry) should match your plan up with what you have actually done. Are they the same? If you are attempting to lose weight by yourself and truly want results it is imperative you be brutally honest with yourself and track it by using a food diary.

Accountability and Support with Weight loss

Every now and then a client misses a weekly appointment. I don't think it's by coincidence that by the next visit the client has lapsed. Other clients come in saying "I know what to do but I just don't do it." This is telling me these individuals need both accountability and support and they need it often.

But not everyone can afford a qualified nutritionist or life coach to keep them on track. So if you are seeking a friend for support here are some things to really consider:

• Is this a person that I can really trust? You might be telling this person things you are normally embarrassed about sharing with most people, so make sure this person can keep a confidence.
• Is this a person who will give you unconditional support that you can depend on and at the same time be lovingly firm about helping you find ways to change? Would this person really make you accountable for your actions?
• Has this person had the same experience in weight loss as you have had? Can he honestly relate to your challenges and weight loss struggles? If he hasn't been overweight himself he may not be able to understand what you are going through. Can he honestly be non-judgmental?
• Will this person be available to you when you need support either by phone or email?
• Will this person sincerely cheer you on when you are doing the right things?

Losing weight is hard work. Support and accountability can make the process easier. Readers who do you lean on for help? What helps you the most?

A New Way of Doing the Food Diary

I am a total believer of the food diary whether it is hand written or whether it be utilizing ND's free Pantry. The May/June issue of Weight Watcher's magazine had a different take on the food diary. But I would only use this "short cut" diary when you absolutely have to, as it certainly would not be too concise and would not give you the full picture of what you are doing with your food, especially around calorie intake.

You still need to record food that you consume but when you have a meal, you simply place the word, "small, medium, or large"  by it. Then before your last meal of the day you check your food diary to see how many "larges" you have already checked. If you have too many in that category, you know you need to downsize dinner and maybe that evening snack. Maybe this isn’t the greatest of ways to track your food but it would be better than nothing and it would keep you aware.

Fats May Promote Weight Loss

Yesterday I cited a study that promotes monounsaturated fats as a key to controlling dangerous belly fat. But  be careful with how much fat you are consuming. All fats are calorie dense. I actually had a client that was having a half a cup of processed peanuts several times a day thinking he was going to lose weight by including more monounsaturated fats.  But think about this, four ounces of peanuts would be equal to 656 calories and 56 grams of fat, about 11 servings of fat at one sitting! Ideally he should have had about 10 whole (in the shell) peanuts for a small snack, worth one serving of fat.

So what are other sources of monounsaturated fats and how do they measure up?
•    1/8 of an avocado is a fat serving.
•    Unprocessed nuts like seven almonds, six cashews, four pecans halves, and one tablespoon of pine nuts are each equal to one serving of fat.
•    One teaspoon of olive oil or five olives is equal to a serving of fat.
•    One tablespoon of organic peanut butter (buyer beware: commercial brands frequently include trans fats/hydrogenated fats) is equal to about two servings of fat (about 100 calories) and one teaspoon of peanut oil is equal to one serving of fat.
•    One tablespoon of unprocessed sesame seeds is a serving of fat.

And yes, Canola oil may be a monounsaturated fat but there is a lot of controversy around it being a genetically modified oil so I personally would avoid it or limit the use of it.

The lesson here is to consume small amounts of monounsaturated fats and then limit the unhealthier saturated and trans fats. You might also use ND's free Daily Needs Calculator to determine the total calories you need for the day to lose weight.

Is there Hope for Curing Belly Fat?

It finally looks like we have some hope on the horizon for those with belly fat. A new, cutting-edge study published in Diabetes Care in July 2007 and conducted by scientists at Reina Sofía University Hospital in Córdoba, Spain, placed a group of overweight people on 4-week diets containing the same number of calories but with different ratios of carbohydrate and fat. "The plan rich in monounsaturated fats prevented the accumulation of both types of belly fat—without additional exercise." It appears that the monounsaturated fat is the real key to the plan.

Prevention Magazine did another study of their own with good results and wrote another weight loss book utilizing the monounsaturated fats in a new diet plan. It also touched on some good solid eating advice.

Just remember these are just a few small short term studies. And even though these studies suggest consuming healthy fats, too much fat in anyone's diet will not promote weight loss if there's simply too many calories from them (or other sources). Tomorrow I'll go over these various kinds of monounsaturated fats and give you some specific serving sizes and calorie measures of fats.

What Price Will you Pay to Lose weight?

How many diets have you been on? How much money, time, and energy have you spent? Many a dieter starts a weight loss program and all too quickly gives up not realizing the actual work that is involved when losing weight. The following is a quote from Daily Motivation that touches on success as a "toll road":

"THE HIGHWAY TO SUCCESS IS A TOLL ROAD
You must give up something to get whatever you want in life.
The greater the value, the greater the sacrifice that will be required.
Everything you want has a price.

You pay a price if you want to make things better,
and you pay a price for just leaving things as they are.

Nothing worthwhile will come easily to you.
Work, continuous work and hard work,
is the only way to accomplish the results that last.

You'll find no success at bargain basement prices."

  Copyright 2008 www.yourdailymotivation.com
Reproduce freely but maintain Copyright notice.

Vegetarian Protein for Earth Day

Happy Earth day! I hope you all are living up to yesterday's challenge of going vegetarian today.

Beans and legumes are such an under eaten food and yet sooooo healthy for us I'd like to discuss how we can easily work them into our current diets as a nutritious and ongoing vegetable protein with minimum hassle.

• Plan bean meals in your weekly menu so you can foresee and account for any needed prep work. (Or you can just simply make them on the weekends and freeze.) The day before you plan on cooking them post a note to soak them or you can use the quick soak method below.
• Soaking beans will lessen cooking time. Legumes and lentils do not require any soaking. Beans do. (Alternative quick soak method: Simply cook beans in water for two full minutes; turn off heat, cover, and then let stand for one hour. Drain thoroughly and proceed with cooking your bean recipe.)
• To avoid the whole embarrassing issue of gassiness, add a teaspoon of baking soda while soaking your beans and then rinse thoroughly. http://www.drmirkin.com/recipes/degas.html also offers additional hints on this issue. Or you can consume Beano prior to consumption. Beano is available at most drugstores and health food stores.
• Note, the smaller the bean the quicker it will cook but times will vary according to the freshness of the beans. Purchase your beans where you know there is a high turnover rate.
• After soaking beans you can utilize a pressure cooker. Cooking time is really quick, espececially with the bigger beans. Follow manufacturer's directions carefully! Or… Use a crock pot. The newer ones have timers that go on and off according to your directions. And of course you just cook the beans on the stove.
• Beans go well all year around. In the warmer months simply make cold bean salads, burritos, or top your green salads with them.

Earth Day is Tomorrow. What are You Doing?

Monica has already made some real good points in today's newsletter and previous blog regarding Earth Day (please read it if you haven't already) on how what we choose to eat strongly impacts our environment and our health. One of her comments, "One of the biggest ways to lower the energy cost of your diet is to reduce the amount of animal protein products you consume…" rings loud and strong. And just last week I wrote a blog suggesting that one day a week make it a "Veggie Day" based on an idea from The Super Foods Rx Diet  book. (Heavy protein eaters you can still get plenty of protein by consuming nutrition packed beans, lentils, organic tofu, low fat cheese, and small amounts of nuts and seeds.)

Here are some great tasting vegetarian recipe ideas from Dana to get you started (remember you can save these to your own free ND Pantry for future use:

• Sauteed Greens with Cannelli Beans and Garlic (Add more beans and organic tofu for protein and reduce the fat for a lower fat dish.)
• Curried Lentil, this is a meal in one with plenty of protein and veggies to warm you up on a cooler spring evening.

Readers are you up to the challenge for tomorrow? I encourage you all to make a statement on Earth Day by what you consume. Go vegetarian for a day. Please tell me how you do!

 

To Weigh or Not to Weigh

I either have clients that get on the scale too much or others that shun the scale completely. So what's the best thing to do when you are losing weight?

Newer studies indicate that dieters should weigh themselves daily. I'm personally not a fan of weighing daily because people expect too much, but I do think a few times a week is acceptable. 

But weighing in once a week is a MUST. You know the saying that "ignorance is bliss?" For some reason not getting on the scale keeps people in denial of what's going on.  How do you know what you are doing is working if you don’t get on the scale? I would hate to waste a whole month and then find out my plan isn’t doing a thing! The flip side of weighing daily is that weight may fluctuate from day to day for various reasons and discouragement can set it.

And then there are some people who have a favorite pair of jeans and they gauge themselves by that. If that works, great!

I think in the end it really depends on the person. If you discourage easily then stay off the scale. If you need the scale to stay on top of things and it doesn’t disappoint you then by all means get on it more often.

Readers tell us what your thoughts are on this subject. What have been your experiences?

Keeping Veggies Convenient for Weight Loss

Let's face it. Veggies do take a bit more time to prepare.  You usually have to wash them, cut them and then cook them. So of course it is easier to simply grab something else to snack on as our reader was challenged with the other day. (The problem with just grabbing something else is that it can end up being higher in calories and lower in nutrients.)

When it comes to keeping veggies convenient here are some tips:

• Buy a veggie platter or precut veggies to have on hand. Use promptly as they lose taste and nutritional quality quickly. Buy a low calorie "dip" or use hummus. Or puree some cottage cheese for a dip and season as desired.
• Find a good recipe for marinated veggies (I personally use the non-fat salad dressings/marinades and add a tiny amount of olive oil.) This keeps well for several days in the frig.
• Make up some veggie soups and freeze. Some delis have plain vegetable soups available year around. Just watch the sodium.
• Grocery stores frequently offer a variety of frozen blends of vegetables: fiesta blend, Italian blend, etc. Extra seasonings can be added for more flavor; you might add fresh basil for the Italian blend, or Mexican seasonings for the fiesta blend. These can be used as side veggie dishes, made into a main dish with additional protein and pasta, or thrown into a soup.

Keep in mind this way of eating is a mindset. You want it to become a habit for good health and weight loss. You have to want to be healthy, you have to want to lose weight, and yes, you have to want to do just a little work. But you also have to remind yourself of the rewards of wholesome eating!

Veggies Can Taste Good!

Wednesday a reader responded to my blog on the challenges of eating vegetables. Jordan actually made two really good points which are: 1. Veggies are not as pleasurable to eat compared to other food sources.  2. It is simply easier to snack on nuts compared to veggies. Today I will comment on the first challenge and work on making veggies taste a little better!

"Vegetables are boring, they don'€™t taste as good," etc. etc. Some of you may have been fed canned vegetables or simply overcooked mushy vegetables. Yuk! Also I think many of us have grown up with very simply prepared vegetables.  I can see why there's not a lot of excitement around eating our vegetables. So what to do?

• Really fresh vegetables can make a huge difference in how they taste.  Shop at the farmers markets and eat your most perishable veggies early in the week.
• Be creative. Check recipes out periodically and prepare some different vegetables entirely or prepare a different combination of vegetables.(If a veggie recipe seems too high in fat, say over 5 grams of fat per serving, simply reduce the amount used; you will still retain the flavor.) Utilize some spices to zip them up a bit.

Start collecting veggie recipes and them save them in the Pantry so they are convenient. And remember, opting for healthier foods such as veggies is frequently about developing the habit of deliberately choosing them. It truly is what you get used to. Tomorrow I'll address the challenge of easy prep with vegetables.

A "Veggie Day" for Weight Loss?

Yesterday I discussed the importance of getting our vegetables in on a daily basis. Well here's one way you can start the process.   A new diet book called The Super Foods Rx Diet by Wendy Bazilian,  DrPH, MA, RD and Steven Pratt, MD suggests taking one day a week, every week, to enjoy a "Veggie Day" – a day in which your food choices be mostly from plants. You can still get your protein by eating beans, legumes, egg whites, tofu, and small amounts of low-fat cheese, seeds, and nuts.

I think this is a great idea for several reasons. As the authors of the book state, "it's a good reminder that you're on a particular eating plan and it's a practice that will help reinforce new, healthy habits." They say to do your "veggie day" on the same day of the we